Regardless of broader feelings on the Star Wars prequels, many acknowledge that Darth Maul is simply cool. The demon-faced, dual-saber-wielding Sith represents one of the few universally embraced aspects of The Phantom Menace. Though he (SPOILER) lost half of his body in the film, he's lived on through various extensions of the Star Wars universe, including comics.

After the TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars was canceled, a leftover arc featuring the villain couldn't go to waste. So the team decided to adapt it to Star Wars: Darth Maul - Son of Dathomir, a four-issue miniseries. Jeremy Barlow writes the series, while Juan Frigeri serves as penciler.

Also, Saga returns this week. It's time for the fourth round of issues, with the newest arc seeing a new planet and characters.

The merry mutants are back in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and as usual, they bring new characters to behold.

The X-Men are unique among many of the superhero team franchises, as the definitive line-up for any given fanboy will differ. Most agree on the classic Avengers roster, give or take a couple members. The Justice League needs a Superman, a Batman, a Wonder Women, one of the Green Lanterns, and so on. But since its 1963 debut, Professor Xavier's mutant collective continues to redefine itself.

Purists insist on the originals: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman and Angel. Children of the '90s would cite the group of the animated series, Storm and Wolverine included. Fans of the '80s incarnation demand that Storm is included, and she must possess a mohawk. And for some reason, every non-reader seems to know who Gambit is, and he or she worships him.

So the folks behind the film franchise have been given a certain opportunity with each movie, bringing in characters from the massive lore in spurts. But with every hand trying to get their favorite muties in the mix, a bit of chaos has ensued. The continuity has suffered from introductions and re-introductions of certain characters, aging up and aging down mutants with different comic book origins.

Hank McCoy (or Beast, for the uninitiated) was an Easter Egg in the second X-Men film, portrayed by an unknown actor without blue fur. In X-Men: The Last Stand, Kelsey Grammer took the role to headliner status, fully donned in make-up. With X-Men: First Class, the prequel to all of that, a younger man makes his transition from human to cat-like creature. And Beast has one of the least confusing stories in the films.

Director Bryan Singer acknowledges the continuity issues, but if you can get over the fact that siblings Cyclops and Havok were placed into decades 40 years apart, you'll be able to enjoy this newest film in the series. With this post, we'll take a look at which beloved comic book mutants will make their debut with this film. Here are some tidbits about each of them. But hey, don't expect filmmakers to follow their origins with care.

Get a sudden urge to don a flannel around your waist? YouTube a few Gin Blossoms songs? It's not just you; comics are also feeling '90s vibes lately. Case in point: the newest Superman event, featuring the return of the villain that defined 1992.

Doomsday is back. The crossover sees a new look and new powers for the rock-adorned foe. This week's slew of comics features three issues from the event, including Superman: Doomed #1, Action Comics #31 and Superman/Wonder Woman #8.

When the character was introduced, it brought one of the biggest moments in comic book history. The 1992 Death of Superman story made headlines across mediums, and across the world. Of course, it didn't last long (less than a year, actually), beating even Captain America's recent resurrection time.

Can we expect Superman to die with this arc? Maybe not. But perhaps another character will get the axe. With the billing DC is giving this thing, we must assume something drastic will take place.

In this new segment on the Comic Afterthoughts blog, we're going to take a look at five panels from this week's new comics crop. The first one of this week is no surprise, as Marvel heads into its latest event...

Who killed The Watcher? Of course, that's not a question we have an answer for just yet. This startling image of the being's corpse marks the end of a character with origins in the Silver Age of Fantastic Four continuity. In this panel, we see some of the major players for this arc, as well as the bloody sockets that held the series' most powerful objects: The Watcher's eyes.

Charlottean Jason Latour is a busy man. The writer/artist recently took over Wolverine and the X-Men from Jason Aaron. The interesting part (aside from Marvel's apparent love for bald, bearded men named Jason) is that the two now have a book out together from Image Comics. Southern Bastards is a pulp-crime book with a back-country backdrop.

The series is a long time coming, and it's already getting high praise. Mark Millar, Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction are just some of the writers praising the scribe and artist involved. For more Aaron goodness, check out the eighth volume of his Wolverine and the X-Men run, which also comes out today. And keep an eye out for a CL cover story on Latour, coming soon.

The Jasons aren't the only ones releasing books today. See what else is in store below. And remember, Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday.

With Original Sin #0, we're given the precursor to Marvel's latest event, which officially starts in May. So what do we know about it so far?

Well, Uatu will die. That's the Uatu, as in The Watcher (a position held throughout the universe by big, bald creatures that monitor the activities of beings in their assigned galaxies). That's the event that kicks off this storyline, with his missing eyes being the main detail gleaned from publicity images.

Uatu sees all and knows all, so if someone has killed him (and presumably taken his secrets), they know things about Earth's Mightiest Heroes that no one else could know. That's where the term "Original Sin" comes in, as each of our heroes has something terrible to hide. Look for big reveals with this summer-long tale, with possible repercussions that extend beyond.

See what else hits shelves below.

While some decry comic creators eager to sell movie rights, Mark Millar has created an express lane between his works and the screen. It started with Wanted, his 2003 series about an unlikely assassin-in-training, which was loosely adapted by Timur Bekmambetov. His cinematic pacing and big ideas translate to films with ease, something he continues to take advantage of as he scripts bold ideas and packages them under the Millarworld moniker.

His collaborations with director Matthew Vaughn began with Kick-Ass, the (originally) realistic take on what happens when a teen wants to turn himself into a superhero. Vaughn helmed the first of the successful Kick-Ass films and produced the second, but with October's release of The Secret Service, we see him back in the director's chair.

Adaptations of Superior and Real Heroes are being tossed around, but with this Comic Afterthoughts post, let's take a look at The Secret Service and what will make this comic yet another hit with filmgoers. The tale sees a world-class, 50-something spy pluck his nephew out of poverty and into his own line of work. The two end up working together to battle the sort of evil genius you find often in comics: a bad guy who claims he's doing a good thing. That's the basic plot. But here are three other things you should know about the upcoming film adaption of this comic.

Usually, creators will start a new series after a cliffhanger is resolved, but Marvel has its own way of doing things. That's why Hulk #1 starts off with Bruce Banner on the edge of death. We don't know who shot him, so there's already a burning question within the opening page of the series.

Thankfully, we have Mark Waid and Mark Bagley at the helm. The Marks are powerhouses for Marvel, the former providing one of the imprint's best current series in Daredevil. Since the '90s, the latter has informed how most of us look at Ol' Webhead himself, the amazing Spider-Man.

For many, "Peter David" is the name synonymous with the Jade Giant, but Waid's hands are more than able. So even if you'd rather ease into your comic arcs, Comic Afterthoughts suggests taking a leap of faith with Hulk #1.

While the Big Two continue to revamp their superhero books, Image keeps churning out new series of every genre. Lately, adventure books have made a return through the company, and another makes its debut this week. Shutter, written by Joe Keatinge and drawn by Leila del Duca, takes urban exploring to magical heights.

You may remember Keatinge from the recent Marvel Knights: Hulk miniseries. Del Luca is a relative newcomer to the industry (or at least with the mainstream publishers). With this Indiana Jones-esque narrative, which adds ninjas, monsters, and demons to the mix, she certainly has the opportunity to go big with her Image debut.

Also, Marvel has a new Doop series. Yeah, I don't know why he needs a five-part, solo tale myself, but with names like Peter Milligan, Mike Allred, and David Lafuente attached, we know we're in for a bit of fun.

Check out what else is new below.

Dark Horse Comics
CREEPY COMICS #16
GAME OF THRONES MAP & MARKER SET
MEGATOKYO OMNIBUS TP
STAR WARS #16 2013 ONGOING
X #12

DC Comics
100 BULLETS BROTHER LONO TP
ASTRO CITY #11
ASTRO CITY SHINING STARS TP
ASTRO CITY THROUGH OPEN DOORS HC
BATGIRL #30
BATMAN ETERNAL #1
COFFIN HILL #7
CONSTANTINE #13
EARTH 2 HC VOL 03 BATTLE CRY (N52)
EARTH 2 TP VOL 02 THE TOWER OF FATE (N52)
FBP FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #9
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #30
JONAH HEX SHADOWS WEST TP
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #5
ROYALS MASTERS OF WAR #3
SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU #44
SUPERBOY #30
SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #7 (DOOMED)
SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #7 COMBO PACK (DOOMED)
WORLDS FINEST #22

IDW Publishing
DEADWORLD RESTORATION #5
GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE DISAVOWED TP VOL 03
GI JOE SPECIAL MISSIONS #14
INDESTRUCTIBLE #5
JUDGE DREDD #18
MAXX MAXXIMIZED #6
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #4
POWERPUFF GIRLS #8
ROCKY & BULLWINKLE #2
SAMURAI JACK #7
TMNT COLOR CLASSICS SERIES 2 #6
TRIPLE HELIX TP

Image Comics
EAST OF WEST #11
EAST OF WEST TP VOL 02 WE ARE ALL ONE
GREAT PACIFIC #14 CVR A MORAZZO
GREAT PACIFIC #14 CVR B POLLINA
INVINCIBLE #110
MANIFEST DESTINY #5 2ND PTG
MANIFEST DESTINY #6
PETER PANZERFAUST #18
SAVAGE DRAGON #194
SHOTGUN WEDDING #2
SHUTTER #1 CVR A DEL DUCA
SHUTTER #1 CVR B WEAVER
SHUTTER #1 CVR C GRAHAM
SHUTTER #1 CVR D RIOS
SPAWN #242
THREE TP
WALKING DEAD #125
WALKING DEAD ABRAHAMS ARMY T/S LG MEN

Marvel Comics
ALL NEW DOOP #1
ALL NEW GHOST RIDER #2
ALL NEW ULTIMATES #1
ALL NEW X-FACTOR #6
ALL NEW X-MEN #25
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 75TH ANNIV BY ROSS POSTER
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 BY RAMOS POSTER
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 PRELUDE TP
AVENGERS AI #11
AVENGERS TP VOL 02 LAST WHITE EVENT
AVENGERS UNDERCOVER #2
CAPTAIN AMERICA PREM HC VOL 03 LOOSE NUKE
CAPTAIN MARVEL #2
DAREDEVIL #1.50
DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID TP VOL 05
DAREDEVIL EPIC COLLECTION TP FALL FROM GRACE
DEADPOOL #27
INFINITY COMPANION HC
IRON FIST LIVING WEAPON #1
IRON MAN #24
KICK-ASS 3 #7
MARVEL 75TH ANNIV BY DEODATO OVERSIZED POSTER
MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #7 SYU
MARVEL UNIVERSE HULK AGENTS OF SMASH DIGEST TP
MIGHTY AVENGERS #9
NIGHTCRAWLER #1
SECRET AVENGERS #2
SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN #11
THUNDERBOLTS #24
WHAT IF AGE OF ULTRON #2

In 2010, Marvel announced Chris Evans would pick up the shield and portray Captain America, a flagship, flag-adorned hero who hadn't been formally introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (outside of a few clever Easter eggs). Fanboy forums erupted. Some loved the casting; others mocked Marvel's re-use of Evans, citing his time as the Human Torch in Tim Story's mediocre Fantastic Four franchise. Some were just glad they picked an American.

Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger was a solid introduction, and though he's not the loudest and funniest of the star-studded cast in Marvel's The Avengers, he proved himself an effective leader in the 2012 film. Three solo films (including Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World) have followed The Avengers, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier is clearly the most vital.

In fact, it's the best Marvel film since The Avengers, best solo film since Iron Man and probably the 11th best Robert Redford movie ever. But the biggest victory of the film is that it matters. We'll look at five reasons why with this piece, starting with the most obvious [SPOILERS AHEAD]: